Howard Payne University head women’s basketball coach Rachel Janzen on Monday announced the hiring of Amara Mills as assistant women’s basketball coach.

Amara Mills comes to Howard Payne from Allen Community College, where she served under Rachel Janzen last season.

“Amara will be an amazing addition to the Lady Jackets. Having worked with her before, I know her leadership and passion will help grow this team into something very special,” said Rachel Janzen, head basketball coach. “I could not do this job without her, and I am so excited to bring her along to join the HPU family.”

With ten years of collegiate coaching experience, Coach Mills’ experience now spans four different levels, including NJCAA, NAIA, NCCAA, and NCAA.

“I want to thank God for this amazing opportunity. I’m grateful for Coach Janzen for entrusting me to help guide this program with her to the next level, said Amara Mills. “I am delighted to work at HPU, and I am very much looking forward to joining the team this upcoming season.”

Along with her regular assistant coaching duties at Allen CC, she led the women’s basketball study hall and academic oversight efforts resulting in a 3.2 team GPA.

Before Allen CC, Coach Mills help lead Florida College to their first winning season ending with a 21-9 overall in 2016-17. Amara assisted the Falcons to a successful 3-year tenure highlighted by a program-record 21 wins in 2017, a #2 national ranking in the 2018 USCAA National Tournament, and the program’s transition to NAIA Division I in 2019-20. From 2017 to 2020, she developed six All-Conference selections, highlighted by the 2018 USCAA Conference Player of the Year and All-American, and the 2020 SSAC Freshman of the Year.

She started her coaching career at Hillsborough high school in Hillsborough, Florida, in 2014, helping guide the team to a 26-3 overall record in 2015, including a District Championship which featured a perfect 14-0 record in conference play.

Amara moved on to the college level the following season, serving as the women’s assistant at Hillsborough Community College in 2016-2017. There she was responsible for all aspects of on-floor development of the program’s guards, which finished the season ranked 2nd in conference play in 3-point field goals made per game and 3rd in free-throw percentage.

Amara completed a B.S. in Sport Management from Grand Canyon University in 2019 and received a Master of Business Administration from Grand Canyon in 2020.